Cervical Ripening Prior to Labor Induction with Intracervical Prostaglandin E2Gel in Patients with Preeclampsia–A Placebo-Controlled Study

Abstract

Objective: The safety and efficacy of 0.5 mg prostaglandin E, gel administered repeatedly intracervically for cervical ripening were assessed in a placebo-controlled trial in 45 preeclamptic women with unripe cervix at term.Methods: We did a prospective study on 45 women with established preeclampsia and unripe cervix (Bishop scores <S 5). The cervical ripening for labor induction was started, in randomized order, either with 0.5 mg intracervi-cal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) gel (n = 24) or with a similar-looking placebo gel (n = 21). If Bishop scores rose over 5, labor was induced with amniotomy and/ or intravenous oxytocin infusion. Treatment was judged to have failed if, 12 h after the application of two gels. Bishop scores were still <5.Results: Seven of 24 women (29.1%) treated with PGE went into labor without any further induction procedure, and in 15 of 24 women (62.6%) the cervix ripened so much that labor could be induced by amniotomy and/or oxytocin infusion. In the placebo group the corresponding f...